


crystalline

by armethaumaturgy



Category: Final Fantasy XIV
Genre: Blanche uses she/her but she's a man get used to it, Fluff, M/M, Multi, Patch 5.0: Shadowbringers Spoilers, Polyamory, They're all gay Harold!!!!!, mute character
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-19
Updated: 2019-07-19
Packaged: 2020-07-08 20:26:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,198
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19875589
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/armethaumaturgy/pseuds/armethaumaturgy
Summary: "Ever since I've met you, I've looked up to you," G'raha said. Even muffled in Iphi's hood, it was more than audible to them. "You've been my inspirations, ever present in my long dreams, and I-- I'm glad I could've played a small role in your story."





	crystalline

**Author's Note:**

> My son..... I love u... Me n my wife both....

He didn't dare hope, even when the memories came flooding back, a tidal wave that felt like it'd physically hit him in the chest, robbing him of breath.

The tower had stood just as imposing as it ever had, glimmering in the light beating upon it day and night. The aether around it still held the faint feeling of centuries of power, still made the spaces where his scales met his skin tingle.

And still, he didn't dare hope, because surely, surely, G'raha Tia would've spoken up to them, wouldn't hide himself from them. So Iphi forced down every urge to ask, to call him by that name, and instead made a new one, a sign just for the Crystal Exarch. If it turned out to be wrong, it'd be incredibly rude to call someone by a name not theirs.

Blanche did not share in these idea, not that he'd ever brought it up, but the Exarch had always dodged or deflected when she used the name.

And now he was there, hood down and ears folded back. Iphi couldn't keep his gaze on him, feeling like looking at the sun itself, like it'd burn his retinas if he looked for too long. And yet he couldn't look away either, flicking back and forth between the crystal-covered miqo'te and the ephemeral flooring.

His chest felt heavy, like a weight being pressed into it, a boot holding him to the ground, robbing him of what little breath he's managed to gather. He didn't know what Blanche felt, what emotions played across her features, too scared to turn and look for himself.

G'raha looked at them with something swimming behind those striking eyes, a trace of uncertainty and, what, fear? Iphi would be the first to admit he might've been projecting there, but with tears brimming in your eyes, it's kind of hard to see, right?

"Good morning, G'raha," Blanche choked, finding her voice at last. G'raha's eyes widened, whole face falling lax as if he, too, had found a boot that weighed on him.

There were tears clinging to G'raha's lashes and his whole staff shook the barest amount with the way he kept clenching his fingers around its hilt. "I… It's been so long since I've been called that name," he admitted. Iphi felt the urge to grab his chin and point it up again when it drooped and G'raha's gaze fell to the floor. "I'd almost forgotten how it sounds on your tongue."

Blanche stepped forward, crossing the Ocularum in three large strides, and wrapped her arms around G'raha's shoulders without much of a preamble.

Her courage was something Iphi had always admired, but he was overwhelmed with feeling more melancholy than his heart should've been capable of holding at once. His lips opened, throat tight and painful.

He knew how to move his lips and tongue to create the name, but all that came out was a wheeze and he choked on it, swallowing down the scalding tears as they welled. What would have G'raha's name sounded in his voice, if he had one? Would he have liked it? Would it have taken him aback like Blanche's had?

He raised a hand towards them and then stopped himself.

The clung to each other, Blanche's claws dug into the cloth of G'raha's robe, G'raha's arms wrapped around her as if she was the rock keeping him from getting swept up in an imaginary flood. Blanche's shoulders shook.

And then G'raha's eyes opened and looked right at him. It took Iphi by surprise; he would never get used to how bright, how beautiful, his eyes were now. And they were focused on him, him of all people, and all too watery…

"Iphi, my dearest friend," G'raha said. The emotions weighed heavy on his tone, words soft.

Iphi had to grip his other wrist to stop it from shaking.

"Would you… come here, as well?"

His tears flowed freely, rivulets running around his scales and he must've looked like a mess, but G'raha said nothing about it even as he obeyed, feet moving one in front of the other until he stood next to them. His hand was still half-raised, hovering by his chest.

He was… scared, maybe, to close the rest of the gap, to confirm this wasn't a dream, that G'raha wasn't going to disappear. He knew he was real, he knew -- they've fought together, he'd protected Iphi from more than a few blows alongside Blanche -- but it was different, knowing and- and-

Confirming.

Were he of the mind, he might've felt proud of himself for finally gathering the courage to reach, to touch. The robe G'raha wore was soft, a replacement for the ones that had been destroyed. The cloth rustled, flowing at the bottom as he ran his fingers down the length of it, pausing when he reached the hem of the sleeve.

G'raha's right arm had become the sameself crystal as the tower, but that wasn't what deterred him.

He looked up, searching G'raha's eyes and only finding warmth in them, the small quirk of his lips prompting him to offer one of his own, however wobbly it might've come out. His fingers grew bolder, continuing their featherlight descend, over the bumpy surface of his crystal arm and finally reaching his hand.

G'raha took his hand, entwined their fingers and smiled and smiled that smile again, the one that Iphi felt was almost too bright to look at.

His other hand was grasped as well, Blanche's lithe fingers squeezing.

Finding himself overwhelmed, Iphi fought with fresh tears. He brought both his hands up; neither of them let go, instead just loosening their holds so they wouldn't get in the way of his fingers.

"Welcome back, G'raha Tia," he signed, and he did look just as taken aback as before, eyebrows twisted almost painfully.

"I'd... almost forgotten what it looked like on your fingers," G'raha said, breathless and guttural.

Hearing just that, all of Iphi's inhibitions flew out of the window. He wrapped his arms around G'raha's broad shoulders and he pulled him closer, against his chest as he hid his tears in his hair, definitely mussing it from its ponytail in the process.

Blanche sandwiched herself against his back, and maybe, just maybe, if he were to die right there, Iphi would've been happy regardless.

"Ever since I've met you, I've looked up to you," G'raha said. Even muffled in Iphi's hood, it was more than audible to them. "You've been my inspirations, ever present in my long dreams, and I-- I'm glad I could've played a small role in your story."

Iphi leaned down, squeezed G'raha and, not knowing what else to do, kissed the crown of his head. The red ears folded back, twitching, but Iphi didn't move.

"It w's no small role," Blanche muttered.

They could both still remember first meeting him, the playful young man who had grown into the dependable leader and yet, stayed himself throughout it. Even with the Crystal Tower dragging its grasp over his body, it was still him, tail flicking against Iphi's knee and all.

And he's stay himself through anything awaiting them, Blanche thought.


End file.
